Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1287

Evan wasn’t the least bit worried about Tracey’s safety.

“All the wild animals around here know my great-grandma. Some of them she’s actually helped out before—rescued them from traps or patched up a broken leg. They’re grateful, so they’d never hurt her. Honestly, they’d probably protect her if anyone tried anything.”

“And the ones that do want to hurt her? Well, good luck with that. They can dream all they want, but it’s just not happening.”

“See, Great-Gran might not know karate, but she’s got a real talent for poisons.”

“Her concoctions are more dangerous than a shotgun, I swear. She could have a bear begging for mercy! That’s why all the animals steer clear—nobody messes with her.”

Tarquin was silent for a moment, then just nodded. “Yeah… fair point.”

Tracey could take down a group of armed hunters without breaking a sweat. Her self-defense skills were no joke.

Tarquin turned to Bernard. “How long does Grandma usually stay out?”

Bernard shrugged. “Hard to say. She might be back by lunchtime, or she might not come home until after dark. She doesn’t usually spend the night out there—unless something unexpected comes up.”

Tarquin sighed, a little disappointed. That meant he probably wouldn’t see Tracey for a while—and he had a lot of questions he wanted to ask her.

Bernard must’ve noticed, because he added, “If it’s really urgent, you can always call her on the wristband. She’ll come back.”

Tarquin thought it over, then shook his head. “No, it’s fine. It can wait.”

Tracey was out gathering herbs—probably working on a cure for the virus. That was way more important.

As for the mystery person… he could ask her about that when she got back.

Evan knew Bernard was still hurting about his brother, so he climbed up and kept him company. They sat there in silence for a while, just watching the world wake up.

Now, with Bernard cheered up a bit and heading into the woods with Tarquin, Evan finally had his chance.

He tapped his wristband, tracked down his uncle’s location, and ran to the supply shed to grab a snack pack—some trail mix, jerky, and a couple of granola bars—before setting off.

He found his uncle dozing against a tree. The night before had been rough for the man—after parting with Bernard, he’d wandered the woods, punching the air and trying to work out the grief and anger. Eventually, exhausted, he’d slumped against the trunk and drifted off as dawn broke.

At the first sound of footsteps, the scar-faced man’s eyes snapped open, wild and alert.

Before Evan even came into view, his voice carried through the trees, “Hey, relax! It’s just me!”

A second later, Evan burst into the clearing, a little out of breath, waving a hand. “Seriously, it’s just me!”